It may not be a definite step towards actual production, but Alpha is back with another concept that intends to brings a little personality to the EV world. And this time, Alpha is showing off its safari everything take.
The company announced its third concept, the Alpha Ace JAX, which takes its modular platform and adapts it for overlanding:
Alpha says the name stands for “Junior All-terrain Crossover” and it provides the following specs for the new concept EV:
It comes in a four-wheel drive (4WD) or front-wheel drive (FWD) system with a towing capacity of 839kg (1850lbs) and acceleration of zero to sixty in 6.5 seconds. The vehicle is intended to be equipped with a 75Kwh Lithium-Ion battery with an estimated 250 miles of range.
JAX™ vehicle dimensions measure approximately 4,560mm (180in) in length, 1930mm (76in) in width, and 1634mm (64in) in height. The vehicle comfortably accommodates seating for 4 passengers with 62.5 cubic feet of combined storage.
I thought it odd the EV maker called this a crossover, but you can see that the difference comes mostly from its role as a four-seater versus the other two concepts, which strictly fit two people.
At first, I was a little annoyed with Alpha playing loose with the crossover term but I suddenly paused and wondered why I was actually defending CUVs. I realized only after this epiphany that the simple but effective approach of stretching the car and giving it barn doors makes sense. Especially for an EV built on a modular platform. Rather than bloat this thing and turn it into some heavy, cumbersome wannabe truck, Alpha stayed true to the spirit of the platform, only adopting what it needed while keeping what makes the ACE so cool in the first place. Namely, its effortless not-an-Alfa-GTV design.
And it looks tough enough, with its rally stance and tubular bumpers. Its wheels are a little matchy for me with the two-tone paint but, hey, at least they’re not in a stealthy black finish! Colorful off-roader wheels are due for a return and I’m glad to see the JAX lean into it.
Still no word on production dates for the concepts from Alpha, but the company is taking reservations for the JAX, which will start at $38,000. Elsewhere on its site, Alpha says it hopes to deliver EVs to American drivers as early as 2023. Your move, Honda E.